LAS VEGAS — The UFC will fire up its Apex facility for the fifth consecutive weekend Saturday with a UFC Fight Night main event featuring Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker.
Poirier (25-6) will be making his first appearance since a failed lightweight title bid against Khabib Nurmagomedov in September. Nurmagomedov won by third-round submission in Abu Dhabi.
Hooker (20-8) will be fighting for the second time this year. He’s coming off a split decision win against Paul Felder in February. It was a brutal fight, which many thought Felder won. Both men were taken to the hospital after although neither sustained serious injuries.
ESPN ranks Poirier and Hooker the No. 4 and 5 lightweights in the world, respectively, going into this five-round main event. The winner will turn his attention to the tittle picture, which will gain clarity later this summer when Nurmagomedov unifies the title against interim champ Justin Gaethje. Will Saturday’s winner get a title shot? Will Conor McGregor stay retired or fight the Nurmagomedov-Gaethje winner? If Nurmagomedov wins, will Tony Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov happen on the sixth attempt? Lots of questions for down the road.
In Saturday’s co-main event, Mike Perry faces Mickey Gall in a fight with a potentially interesting twist as Perry has said his girlfriend Latory Gonzalez — who has no MMA or fighting expertise — will be the only person in his corner. Perry, a 28-year-old action fighter, has lost five of his last seven fights.
Gall (6-2) has won two of his last three bouts. The New Jersey native is most known for being the man who submitted CM Punk in the former WWE champion’s UFC debut in 2016. Gall, 28, has not fought since a unanimous decision win over Salim Touahri last August.
Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim will recap the action throughout the night.
Fight in progress
Featherweight: Jordan Griffin (18-7, 1-2 UFC, +100) vs. Youssef Zalal (8-2, 1-0 UFC, -120)
Still to come:
Lightweight: Dustin Poirier (25-6, 1 NC; 17-5, 1 NC UFC, -220) vs. Dan Hooker (20-8; 10-4 UFC, +185)
Welterweight: Mike Perry (13-6, 6-6 UFC, -320) vs. Mickey Gall (6-2, 5-2 UFC, +260)
Heavyweight: Gian Villante (17-11, 7-8 UFC, +175) vs. Maurice Greene (8-5, 3-2 UFC, -200)
Middleweight: Brendan Allen (14-3, 3-0 UFC, -310) vs. Kyle Daukaus (9-0, 0-0 UFC, +255)
Heavyweight: Philipe Lins (14-4, 0-1 UFC, -110) vs. Tanner Boser (17-6-1, 1-1 UFC, -110)
Catchweight (150 pounds): Sean Woodson (7-0, 1-0 UFC, -556) vs. Julian Erosa (23-9, 0-3 UFC, +400)
Lightweight: Luis Pena (8-2, 4-2 UFC, -230) vs. Khama Worthy (15-6, 1-0 UFC, +195)
Heavyweight: Jason Witt (17-5, 0-0 UFC, +110) vs. Takashi Sato (15-3, 1-1 UFC, -139)
Strawweight: Jinh Yu Frey (9-4, 0-0 UFC, +155) vs. Kay Hansen (6-3, 0-0 UFC, -175)